Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Teaching every student in the Digital Age: universal design for learning by David Rose and Anne Meyer is written for educators looking to incorporate new technologies into their classrooms. The book starts off with an examination of the latest research in neuroscience and learning styles, then guides teachers through setting appropriate goals for students, choosing materials and technologies which give each student optimum support, and using the best methods to accurately track students' success.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Literacy beyond picture books: teaching secondary students with moderate to severe disabilities is a compilation of creative lesson plans and games for use in the classroom. Editors Dorothy Smith, Jill DeMarco and Martha Worley and their team have come up with an assortment of activities that range from crafts (painting a "Jungle Mural", making "Mountain Views" from construction paper) to reading activities (vocabulary card games, themed word games) to everyday skills (baking "Potato Chip Cookies"). The book contains everything a teacher needs to get started with an engaging curriculum.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Next Chapter Book Club is a guide to the fast-growing NCBC program developed by author Tom Fish, Director of Family and Employment Services at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center on Disabilities. This book explains how to set up and conduct clubs of 5-8 members of all age groups and abilities to improve literacy and foster social interaction. A CD of printable forms and templates is included to help get aspiring facilitators started in founding and managing a local chapter.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Toys to tools: connecting student cell phones to education is a ground-breaking volume by Liz Kolb, a former high school technology coordinator now teaching at Madonna University. Kolb tackles the touchy issue of new technologies in the classroom: the factors that led to school-wide bans of personal devices and how educators can alternatively use them to engage students in learning. The book highlights many modern technologies, such as web publishing, mobile notes, YouTube etc. and outlines sample projects which encourage students to use them productively.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

A recent study by Human Rights Watch revealed that students with disabilities are disproportionately spanked, paddled, or beaten by educators in American public schools. Though they only make up 13.7% of the student population, these individuals bear the brunt of 18.8% of reported corporal punishments.

The 70-page report indicates that 20 states allow corporal punishment in public schools, including Indiana. The official press release states that "At least 41,972 students with disabilities were subjected to corporal punishment in US schools during [the 2006-2007 school year]." Reports include punishments doled out for involuntary behaviors, such as "students with Tourette syndrome being punished for exhibiting involuntary tics and students with autism being punished for repetitive behaviors such as rocking."

The Human Rights Watch organization contends that legal corporal punishment is a "violation of international human rights law" and urges Americans and politicians to instate a national ban.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

United Cerebral Palsy recently released their 4th annual Case for Inclusion report. The report's purpose is to "summarize of the impact and outcomes of Medicaid services to over half a million unique individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities," and rates how well each state adheres to the "four basic commitments":

• People with disabilities will live in and participate in their communities• People with disabilities will have satisfying lives and valued social roles• People with disabilities will have sufficient access to needed support, and control over that support so that the assistance they receive contributes to lifestyles they desire• People will be safe and healthy in the environments in which they live.

The top ten states are mostly on the east and west coasts and the bottom ten in middle America, with outlying Michigan ranked #6 (see the Ranking Map). Indiana placed a ghastly #42, dragged down by factors such as unreasonably high personal costs for PWDs, lengthy waiting lists for residential services, and the percentage of PWDs assisted in community settings.

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Bloomington Housing Authority has announced the opening of the Section 8 Housing Assistance waiting list for two days in September. They will take applications on Tuesday, September 8th from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, September 9th from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

In order to apply, each family must provide Social Security cards and identification (birth certificates, drivers licenses etc.) for every person in the household, as well as proof of income. You can access a copy of the application at http://www.bhaindiana.net/Section%208%20Application.pdf.

Call Danielle Sorden at 812-339-3491 ext. 132 for more information and accommodations for disabilities.

Friday, August 7, 2009

A study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research that analyzed the medical records of their long-time plan participants revealed that men and women with significantly elevated levels of cholesterol in their 40s were 57 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than their peers.

Of the ten thousand original participants in the study, roughly 600 developed a mental disability in their later years. Even those with only mildly elevated cholesterol were 50% more likely than those with normal levels to develop dementia. Though the study is not far reaching, and does not directly correlate high cholesterol to dementia, the authors of the study caution the public to maintain healthy lifestyles and be aware of "modifiable risk factors."

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Next Friday, August 14 2009, Dr. John Librett will give a talk in the HPER building of the IUB campus on active living for children and youth with disabilities. Librett is the executive director of SPLORE, a non-profit organization based in Salt Lake City, Utah that offers inclusive recreation and education programs.

A press release for the event reads: "Obesity among children and youth with disability is nearly twice that of children without disability. Consequently their health status is further compromised by the lack of physical activity, access to facilities, programs, and services, and social networks of the general population." Librett hopes to establish a partnership with researchers at IU to pursue potential solutions.

Librett invites "professionals in health promotion, special education, disability services, rehabilitation, special physical education, therapeutic recreation and associated disciplines" to the talk. You can contact compton@indiana.edu or call 812-856-6055 for more information.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The City of Bloomington is offering a second workshop to educate builders, contractors and architects on federal and state regulations regarding accessibility of buildings for people with disabilities.

The City’s aim is to help businesses and organizations understand how to be fully accessible as they design and construct their buildings.

The City’s Council for Community Accessibility received funding through the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities and ADA-Indiana for its project entitled “Making Businesses Accessible: If We Build It Right, They Will Come!” The first workshop, offered on July 28, was a great success, with 33 building inspectors from Monroe and surrounding counties attending.

The final workshop will be on Wednesday, Aug. 19, for architects, builders and contractors, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street, Bloomington. The event is free for participants, and lunch will be provided.

Presenting will be representatives from the U.S. Access Board and the Great Lakes ADA Center, a program of the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Great Lakes ADA Center provides information, materials, technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The U.S. Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities. It provides technical assistance and training on accessible design criteria and enforces accessibility standards that cover federally funded facilities.

For further information about the workshop, please contact Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, at 349-3471 or brennerc@bloomington.in.gov, or Barbara McKinney, Human Rights Director, City of Bloomington Legal Department, at 349-3429 or mckinneb@bloomington.in.gov.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The differentiated school: making revolutionary changes in teaching and learning by Carol Tomlinson, Kay Brimijoin, and Lane Narvaez is an essential read for school administrators and educational planners. The authors provide guidelines for "change toward differentiation" in K-12 schools, with case studies of middle and high-schools that have successfully trained teachers and implemented programs to adjust for the needs of individual students of all abilities.

Monday, August 3, 2009

A recent media frenzy has attempted to whip up panic about the dangers of portable music players to people with pacemakers. But you don't have to toss out those MP3s and iPods just yet: a study in BioMedical Engineering has shown that such devices are incapable of producing a magnetic field strong enough to interfere with modern pacemakers (read about it in ScienceDaily).

The study shows that the Apple iPod's magnetic field is hundreds of times less than that required to effect pacemakers even when the earbuds hang directly over the chest. Moreover, the voltage produced by this field is so low that it cannot be detected by highly sensitive equipment.

So put your hearts at ease: listening to your favorite tunes will not cause an implanted pacemaker to go on the fritz.

Valerie Jarrett, the assistant to the U.S. president for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison, pointed out that "In developing countries, 90 percent of the children with disabilities do not attend school and women and girls with disabilities are too often the subject of deep discrimination." By signing the convention, the US has pledged to abolish legislation that allows such discrimination in our own nation.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The site has a bright beachy look and is filled with biographies of celebrities with disabilities, the down-low on Braille and ASL, lists of kid-friendly books, and disability awareness games (like the popular Mysterious Secret Language Riddles). Grab a kid and have fun!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Aimee Mullins was born without fibulae, the bones that support the calf part of a person's legs. After her first birthday her legs were amputated in the hope that she could learn to use prosthetic legs, and she did--better than most people can use their biological legs. Aimee became a world-famous sprinter in college, breaking paralympic records for the hundred meter dash and the long jump.

After her athletic career, Aimee became a model and actress, appearing in the likes of Sports Illustrated. She is notable for her frank and open style (for her 1999 spread in People Magazine's Most Beautiful People, she said, "[I] don't want to be seen as a gimmicky disabled athlete...You don't hear people saying, 'Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar—and she's blonde!'"). She recently gave a talk on the definition of beauty, the future of prosthetics, and how readily children accept differences when free of the overbearing 'sensitivity' of adults; you can watch it here on TED.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Mark your calendars: the first annual Baby & Family Expo will be held in Columbus, IN on the weekend of November 28/29 to raise funds for Children, Inc. The purpose of the event is to "provide information from respected support groups, health professionals, and businesses in the surrounding area." Topics presented will include "everything from parenting classes to family photography."

The event is sponsored by Kids First Child Care & Early Childhood Education and will take place at the Columbus Holiday Inn, who will also offer discounts to participants for restaurant meals.

Monday, July 27, 2009

I stammered and stuttered.I might say the wrong thing, I thought--so I muttered.I wanted to get a good look at her chair,but I felt like a jerk, so I tried not to stare.

In the whimsically illustrated book Best Friend on Wheels, by Debra Shirley and Judy Stead, an elementary-school girl portrays how she met and became best friends with Sarah, who uses a wheelchair. The book honestly addresses the awkwardness young children can feel when meeting someone different for the first time, and shows them how to relate to people of all abilities.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Nana, can you hear me? is an introduction for children, families, and individuals experiencing hearing loss. In a simple and easy-to-understand style, authors Jean M Kenney and Phil Collins explain the physical causes and consequences of hearing loss, including the science of sound, adaptive technologies, therapies, sign language and more.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Shakissha is in the fourth grade, has spina bifida, and is preparing to attend a public school for the first time. This documentary follows her friends and teachers as they prepare for the transition through role-playing and talking through their differences. A great program for elementary-aged children, this DVD exemplifies acceptance and successful integration.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Bionics: Cool Science by Judith Jango-Cohen is a book about artificial devices that help improve daily living. This book shows how bionic devices serve many different purposes for animals and people. For example, some bionic devices replace parts of the body that are missing due to injury or birth defects. This book includes chapters on Replacing Parts, Fixing Malfunctions, Assisting the Senses and Facing the Future. This book is recommended for students in grade 4th -6th.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Building Blocks for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs by Susan Sandall and Ilene Schwartz is a resource guide for preschool teachers and educators to promote inclusion and improve outcomes for children with disabilities in early childhood classrooms. This updated second edition guidebook provides step-by-step strategies on how to decide what kind of instruction is appropriate and explains how the Building Block framework helps teachers meet the federal requirements. This bestselling book also provides a CD-ROM for printable forms such as classroom assessments, planning worksheets and child evaluation forms.